CANAISIS ∞ Chronicle One ∞ 2: A Captain's Journey

66 ∞ The Welcome Back

"What's what like?"

"What's it like having a computer in your mind?"

"Oh, it's the same as talking to you or anyone else. I just don't have to speak the words, that's all. No need to be wary, you should try talking to her yourself—she's very open to conversation."

"She?"

"Yes, Lina. Canaisis is not an 'it'. She's female, as much as you and I."

Lina cocked her head. "Any machine can be programmed to have a female voice. That doesn't make it a female."

"I've seen her, Lina. She's very much a female."

"Seen her? What do you mean?"

"She came to speak to me in my Journey when I was Lost. She's the one who told me I was dying, and asked my permission to give me the medical nanos. Because she can't give them without consent. But, the point is, she appeared to me as a Human female."

"I see... I didn't know you had to give consent. Why is that?"

Ayla sent the question to Canaisis.

«It's the Captain's orders, Ayla. You must ask him yourself for further information.»

Ayla returned her focus to Lina, just realizing she'd turned her eyes away while listening to Canaisis.

"The Captain has given orders. I'm not sure of his reasons, but I'm sure he has them."

"That sounds ominous, Ayla. What do we really know about these medical nanos?"

"I know the Captain has them himself and has had them for a very long time. He looks healthy to me. What do you think?"

"Alright, he seems physically and mentally healthy, and I would like to know more. But not right now, though. Back to the gender issue. A machine can send an image of any gender it wants. That doesn't make it female."

Canaisis interjected before Ayla could answer. «I, however, was designed around the female matrix. Therefore you could say that I was born female like you. And like your sister Lina, my mental matrix mirrors the same synaptic patterns that her own brain developed as her cells grew. It's not just the reproductive organs that make her a female, it's the many factors of her entire body that make her female. If her vagina was removed, would that make her no longer a female?»

«I'm not repeating all that, and I'm definitely not going to ask her that question. She's suspicious of machines enough as it is—that question coming from you might make her grab a shuttle and launch.»

Canaisis' laughter came loud and clear in Ayla's mind. «It's amusing—the Captain had brought up that very idea just a few hours ago. My answer is the same: the outer doors are locked for the time being.»

«What? Why? Never mind, Lina is looking at me funny.»

«I'm sorry for interrupting—carry on. I want to hear your response.»

Ayla shook her head to herself and met Lina's gaze, smiling. "You know, I could argue with you for days about how a machine can have a gender, but I wouldn't be able to convince you. Help me get up."

Lina looked puzzled. "Why? Where are we going?"

"I'm starved." Alya threw her legs over the bed and automatically reached for the hairpin to place it in her hair. Lina stood up to help Ayla to her feet when she paused, staring above Ayla's head.

Ayla froze. "What's wrong?"

"The butterfly just landed on your hairpin."

"Oh." Ayla cupped her face with both hands and tilted her head. "How do I look? Do the colors complement my eyes?"